Vortex flow blower and vane wheel therefor

Abstract: A vane wheel (1) driven by a shaft (4s) for transferring a gas, comprising vortex flow chambers (9) opening in a direction substantially parallel to the shaft (4s) to receive the gas, to urge the gas in a substantially circumferential direction of the vane wheel (1), and to generate and accelerate a vortex flow of the gas, a vane member has a hub (8) through which the vane member is connected to the shaft (4s), a plurality of vanes (12) each of which extends integrally from the hub (8) in a substantially radial direction of the vane wheel (1) and includes a front surface for urging the gas in the substantially circumferential direction of the vane wheel (1), and a vortex flow chamber wall (10) extending integrally from both of the hub (8) and each of the vanes (12), and a cover (11) contacting with the vortex flow chamber wall (10) to form the vortex flow chambers (9) together with the vortex flow chamber wall (10) and the vanes (12).

Description: The invention relates to a vortex flow blower according to the first part of claim 1, comprising a vane wheel with three-dimensionally curved vane surfaces. Such a vortex flow blower is disclosed in JP-A-2-215997. The vane wheel of this blower is divided into two parts, and the parts are joined after the parts are formed independently of each other. One part comprises a hub, the row of vanes and a wall. The disc-shaped hub is formed integrally with the radial inner edges of the vanes and the ring-shaped wall is formed integrally on the radial outer edges of the vanes in the radial plane of the hub. The backside openings between the vanes are through-holes and are covered by the second part. This second part is a cover having a radial inner ring flange for fastening the cover on the disc-shaped hub, a radial outer ring and a half-toroidal middle portion contacting the rounded backside edges of the vanes. This vortex flow blower also is shown in Fig. 67 of EP-A-0 383 238 in which several other embodiments of vortex blowers are disclosed. An object of the invention is to provide a vane wheel which is divided into at least two members for easy production, and whose rigidity, strength and vibration-absorbing characteristic are high. For solving this object the vortex blower of the invention is provided with the features of claim 1. Since the vane member has the vanes each of which extends integrally or continuously from the hub in the substantially radial direction of the vane wheel and the vortex flow chamber wall extending integrally or continuously from both of the hub and each of the vanes, the vortex flow chamber wall supports the vanes strongly and rigidly on the hub. Therefore, although the vane wheel is divided into the vane member and the cover means, the rigidity and strength of the vanes are high. Further, since the cover means contacts with the vortex flow chamber wall, a friction between the cover means and the vortex flow chamber wall (when an adhesive adheres to the cover means and the vortex flow chamber wall so that the cover means contacts with the vortex flow chamber wall through the adhesive, a deformation of the adhesive therebetween) absorbs a vibration of the vane wheel, particularly a vibration generated in the vortex flow chambers. A pressing force between the cover means and the vortex flow chamber wall accelerates to absorb the vibration. Therefore, although the vane wheel is divided into the vane member and the cover means, the vane wheel is restrained from generating the vibration. The vortex flow chamber wall may curve to project in the substantially radial and/or circumferential direction of the vane wheel so that a section modulus and a geometrical moment of inertia of an integral or continuous combination of the vortex flow chamber wall and the vanes are remarkably increased, and a contact area between the cover means and the vortex flow chamber wall is increased. Therefore, the rigidity, strength and vibration-absorbing-characteristic are further improved. It is preferable for each of the vanes to be prevented from being divided. The each of the front surfaces may form an inclined angle relative to an imaginary plane substantially perpendicular to the output rotational shaft, and the angle is less than a right angle. In this case, a casting mold for forming the inclined vanes can be inserted and supported easily and securely through a below mentioned through-holes or notches so that the vane wheel with three-dimensionally curved vane surfaces can be correctly formed. The vortex flow chamber wall may have a through-hole therein, and the cover means may cover the through-hole. The cover means may extend into the through-hole. The vane member may include a through-hole therein, and further includes a radially inner vortex flow chamber wall portion and a radially outer vortex flow chamber wall portion divided by the through-hole from the vortex flow chamber wall. The vane member may include notches each of which extends radially inwardly from an outside of the vane member between the vanes adjacent to each other, and the cover means may cover the notches. The cover means may extend into the notches. The through-holes or notches are preferable for increasing a volume on the vortex flow chambers. When cover means extends into the notches or through-holes, an abrupt change of an inner surface of the vortex flow chambers at the notches or through-holes is prevented. A reverse surface of the vortex flow chamber wall (and a reverse surface of the hub, if necessary) may form a substantially flat surface plane, and the cover may comprise a substantially flat surface for contacting with the substantially flat surface plane to form the vortex flow chambers together with the vanes and the vortex flow chamber wall as shown in Figs. 28-30. The cover may further comprise projections on the substantially flat surface so that the projections extend into or fill the notches or through-holes of the vane member to form a smooth inner surface shape of the vortex flow chambers. The vortex flow chamber wall may have a portion extending in the substantially radial direction of the vane wheel and connecting the vanes adjacent to each other in the substantially circumferential direction of the vane wheel so that the rigidity and strength of the vanes adjacent to each other in the substantially circumferential direction of the vane wheel are improved. The vanes may be prevented from extending over or below the vortex flow chamber wall as seen in the direction substantially parallel to the shaft, so that the casting mold for forming the vane member can be supported easily and securely. The cover means may have dents receiving the vanes so that the vanes are supported strongly and rigidly by the cover means in the substantially circumferential direction of the vane wheel. The vortex flow blower may further comprises a metal member joined with the vane member and with the cover means so that the cover means is connected to the vane member. The vortex flow blower may further comprises a first metal member joined with the vane member and a second metal member joined with the cover means so that the cover means is connected to the vane member, and an angle between a longitudinal axis of the first metal member and an imaginary plane substantially perpendicular to the output rotational shaft may be different from another angle between a longitudinal axis of the second metal member and the imaginary plane. The cover means may be connected to the shaft independently of the vane member. The cover means and the vane member may have respective surfaces extending substantially parallel to each other to engage with each other. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a partially cross-sectional view showing a vortex flow blower according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front view showing a vane member according to the present invention. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line III-III in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a partially cross-sectional schematic view showing a vane member according to the present invention. Fig. 5 is a front view showing a cover according to the present invention. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional side view showing the cover of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional side view showing a combination of upper and lower cast molds for forming the vanes, the vortex flow chambers and a hub of a vortex flow blower according to the present invention. Fig. 8 is a reverse view showing a vane member according to the present invention. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along as Fig. 3 to show another cover according to the present invention. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along as Fig. 3 to show another cover according to the present invention. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along as Fig. 3 to show another cover according to the present invention. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along as Fig. 3 to show another cover according to the present invention. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a connection between a vane member and a cover according to the present invention. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing another connection between a vane member and a cover according to the present invention. Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing another connection between a vane member and a cover according to the present invention. Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing another connection between a vane member and a cover according to the present invention. Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing another cover according to the present invention. Fig. 18a is a front view showing another vane member according to the present invention. Fig. 18b is a front view showing another cover according to the present invention. Fig. 18c is a cross-sectional view showing the another vane member of Fig. 18a. Fig. 18d is a cross-sectional view showing the another cover of Fig. 18b. Fig. 19a is a cross-sectional view showing an engagement between a vane member and a cover according to the present invention. Fig. 19b is a cross-sectional view showing another engagement between a vane member and a cover according to the present invention. Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional view showing another connection between a vane member and a cover according to the present invention. Fig. 21a is a cross-sectional view showing another connection between a vane member and a cover according to the present invention. Fig. 21b is a partial side view showing the another connection of Fig. 21a. Fig. 22a is a front view showing another vane member according to the present invention. Fig. 22b is a front view showing another cover according to the present invention. Fig. 22c is a cross-sectional view showing the another vane member of Fig. 22a. Fig. 22d is a cross-sectional view showing the another cover of Fig. 22b. Fig. 23a is a cross-sectional view showing another connection between a vane member and a cover around a driving shaft according to the present invention. Fig. 23b is a side view showing engage projections of a vane member according to the present invention. Fig. 23c is a side view showing engage dents of a cover according to the present invention. Fig. 23d is a side view showing engagement between the projections and dents shown in Figs. 23b and 23c. Fig. 24 is a partially cross-sectional schematic view showing another vane member with a curved vortex flow chamber wall extending radially inwardly and outwardly and with through-holes terminating at vanes to divide the wall into radially inner and outer portions, according to the present invention. Fig. 25 is a partially cross-sectional schematic view showing another vane member with a curved wall extending radially inwardly and with through-holes in the wall, according to the present invention. Fig. 26 is a partially cross-sectional schematic view showing another vane member with a curved wall extending radially outwardly and with through-holes in the wall, according to the present invention. Fig. 27 is a partially cross-sectional schematic view showing another vane member with a curved wall extending radially outwardly and with notches extending inwardly from an outside of the vane member. Fig. 28 is a partially cross-sectional schematic view showing another vane member. Figs. 29 and 30 are front and side-cross-sectional views showing another cover for the another vane member of Fig. 28. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments As shown in Figs. 1-4 and 8, a vortex flow blower has a vane wheel 1, an electric motor 4 for driving the vane wheel 1, a casing 2 with a pressure rising passage 3 extending substantially around the shaft axis 7 of the motor 4 and the vane wheel 1 and opening in a direction parallel to the shaft axis 7, an inlet 5 opening at an end of the pressure rising passage 3 to take in air, an outlet (not shown) opening at another end of the pressure rising passage 3 to discharge the air, and a partition wall 6 arranged between the end and another end of the pressure rising passage 3. The vane wheel 1 is mounted on an output rotational shaft 4s of the motor 4, and includes a hub 8 connected to the shaft 4s, a wall 10 for forming vortex flow chambers 9 opening to and along the annular pressure rising passage 3 in the direction parallel to the shaft axis 7 and partitioned by a plurality of vanes 12 extending substantially radially, and a cover 11 for covering through-holes or notches 50 of the vane wheel 1 at an opposite side of the casing 2. The hub 8, the vanes 12 and the wall 10 are made integrally of a light alloy, for example, aluminum, aluminum alloy or the like through a mold process, for example, a die cast molding process. The vanes 12 project forward in a vane wheel rotational direction to incline relative to an imaginary plane perpendicular to the axis 7 so that the air received by the vanes from the inlet 5 is urged strongly toward a wedge-shaped space or bottom of the vane wheel 1 formed by the vanes 12, the wall 10 and cover 11. The air is accelerated by the vanes 12 in a circumferential direction of the vane wheel 1, and a vortex flow of the air is generated and accelerated in the vortex flow chambers 9. The vortex flow of the air proceeds in the circumferential direction of the vane wheel 1 along an annular passage formed by the pressure rising passage 3 and the vortex flow chambers 9. Thereafter, the air pressurized by being accelerated in the circumferential direction of the vane wheel 1 and in a spiral direction of the vortex flow is discharged from the outlet. In the wall 10 the through-holes 50 are formed at the opposite side of the casing 2, and the vanes 12 extend above or below the through-holes 50 seen from a direction parallel to the axis 7. The cover 11 has an inner surface fitting onto a reverse surface of the wall 10 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, so that the vane wheel 1 is formed by the cover 11 and an integral or monolithic combination of the hub 8, the vanes 12 and the vortex flow chamber wall 10. The cover 11 contacts with the wall 10, preferably with a compression force therebetween. The cover 11 may be divided into a plurality of members each of which contacts with and fits onto the reverse surface of the wall 10, preferably with the compression force therebetween. The cover may be made of steel, aluminum, aluminum alloy or the like, through a press or molding process. As shown in Fig. 7, when an upper mold 200 and a lower mold 300 is combined with each other to form integrally the hub 8, the vanes 12 and the wall 10, the lower mold 300 for forming the reverse surface of the wall 10 and vanes 12 can extend into an inside of the vane wheel 1 through the through-holes or notches 50, and the combination of the upper mold 200 and lower mold 300 can be disassembled in directions shown by arrows a and b. As shown in Fig. 9, the cover 11 may have projections 11a which extend into the through-holes or notches 50 respectively, and whose upper surfaces form respective parts of semicircle inner surfaces of the vortex flow chambers 9 to prevent an abrupt change of the inner surfaces of the vortex flow chambers 9 at the through-holes or notches 50, so that a smooth air flow is performed in the vortex flow chambers 9. As shown in Fig. 10, the wall 10 may be tapered to prevent the abrupt change of the inner surfaces of the vortex flow chambers 9 at boundaries between an edge of the wall 10 and the through-holes or notches 50, so that the smooth air flow is performed in the vortex flow chambers 9. As shown in Fig. 11, the wall 10 may have projections 13 and the cover 11 may have holes llh so that the cover 11 is pressed against and fixed to the wall 10 to form the vane wheel 1 after forward ends of the projections 13 are plastically deformed or caulked. As shown in Fig. 12, the projections 13 may be arranged on the vanes 12. As shown in Fig. 13, it is not necessary for combinations of the projections 13 and the holes llh to be arranged at every vortex flow chambers 9. As shown in Fig. 14, the projections 13 may be arranged on the hub 8. As shown in Fig. 15, the cover 11 may be pressed against and fixed to the integral combination of the hub 8, the vanes 12 and the wall 10 by bolts 17 extending through bolts apertures 15 and bolted holes 16. In this embodiment, the hub 8 is connected to the shaft 4s through a boss 8b included by the cover 11. As shown in Fig. 16, the integral combination of the hub 8, the vanes 12 and the wall 10 may be connected to the shaft 4s through the hub 8, and the cover 11 may be directly connected to the shaft 4s. As shown in Fig. 17, the wall 10 and the cover 11 may have wedge-shaped taper projections and dents engaging tightly each other so that a hermetical seal is formed therebetween to prevent a water from penetrating therebetween. It is preferable for the integral assembly of the hub 8, the vanes 12 and the vortex flow chamber wall 10 and the cover to be made of a common material to prevent a contact corrosion between different materials. If a material of the integral assembly and a material of the cover 11 are different from each other, it is preferable that an electric potential difference between the materials is small and an electrically insulating varnish of, for example, polyester type or epoxy type is arranged between the integral assembly and the cover 11. The integral or monolithic combination of the hub 8, the vanes 12 and the wall 10 may contact with the cover 11 through an adhesive therebetween for fixing the cover 11 to the monolithic combination. As shown in Figs. 18a-18d, the vane wheel 1 may be composed of an integral or monolithic combination 109 as the claimed vane member of a boss 109a, a hub 109b, vanes 108 and an outer limb 109c, and an integral or monolithic combination 110 of an inner cylindrical portion 110a, a vortex flow groove wall 107 forming an annular vortex flow groove 17 and an outer cylindrical portion 110b. As shown in Figs. 19a and 19b, the vanes 108 are fitted into the annular vortex flow groove 17 so that the annular vortex flow groove 17 is divided by the vanes 108 to form the vortex flow chambers 9. Each of the vanes 108 has at least one projection 111 fitted into at least one dent or radially extending groove 112 formed on the annular vortex flow groove 17 so that the vanes 108 is rigidly and strongly supported in the circumferential direction of the vane wheel 1 against an air pressure. The integral combinations 109 and 110 are fixedly joined with a casted portion 113 which is formed by utilizing the integral combinations 109 and 110 as a mold core. As shown in Figs. 21a and 21b, the integral combinations 109 and 110 are fixedly joined with casted portions 114 which are formed by inserting a melted metal into aligned grooves in the combinations 109 and 110. It is preferable for strong fixing that an inclined direction of angle  of the casted portions 114 at a radially outer side of the vane wheel 1 is reverse to that of the casted portions 114 at a radially inner side thereof. As shown in Figs. 22a-23d, the vane wheel 1 may be composed of an integral or monolithic combination 115 as the claimed vane member of a hub 115a mounted on the shaft 4s, the vanes 108 and an outer limb 115c, and an integral or monolithic combination 116 as the claimed cover means of a boss 116a mounted on the shaft 4s, inner ribs 116b, the wall 107 and an outer cylindrical portion 116c. The hub 115a may be fitted into the boss 116a around the shaft 4s. The outer limb 115c and the outer cylindrical portion 116c may have projections 118 and dents 119 engaged with each other by rotating the limb 115c relative to the cylindrical portion 116c as shown by an arrow R. This structure is appropriate when the monolithic combinations 115 and 116 to be fixed to each other are made of a plastic resin. As shown in Figs. 24-26, the wall 10 curved to extend radially and forming the through-holes or notches 50 may have a radially inner extension length different from a radially outer extension length. The through-holes or notches 50 may be surrounded by the wall 10, or alternatively may terminate at the vanes 12. As shown in Fig. 27, the notches 50 may extend radially inwardly from an outside of the vane wheel 1 to the wall 10. As shown in Fig. 28, the wall 10 may have an annular plane reverse surface. The plane annular reverse surface is covered by the cover 11, which have a plane surface for contacting with the annular plane reverse surface as shown in Figs. 29 and 30. The cover 11 may have projections 51 extending into or fill the through-holes 50 to form a smooth inner surface of the vortex flow chambers together with the vanes 12 and the wall 10.

Claims: Vortex flow blower for transferring gas comprising a motor (4) having an output shaft (4s) ; a vane wheel (1) driven by said shaft; a casing (2) disposed adjacent to said vane wheel (1) having a pressure rising passage (3) extending substantially around the shaft (4s) beside the vane wheel (1) and with an opening in a direction parallel to the shaft (4s) ; wherein the vane wheel comprises: a hub (8) via which the vane wheel (1) is connected to the shaft (4s); a plurality of vanes (12) extending integrally from the hub (8) in a substantially radial direction of the vane wheel and including a front surface for urging the gas in a substantially circumferential direction of the vane wheel to generate a vortex gas flow; a wall (10) made integrally with the hub (8) and the vanes (12); through-holes (50) between the vanes (12); a cover (11) for covering the through-holes (50) between the vanes (12) on the side away from the casing (2) and contacting the wall (10) to form vortex flow chambers together with the wall and the vanes (12), characterized in that said wall (10) extends in a curved shape around the vanes (12) on the side away from the casing (2) in substantially radial and circumferential directions, to increase the contact area between the cover (11) and the wall (10) and the through-holes (50) are formed in said wall (10). Vortex flow blower according to claim 1, characterized in that the each of the front surfaces of the vanes (12) forms an angle less than 90° relative to an imaginary plane substantially perpendicular to the shaft (4s). Vortex flow blower according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover (11) is provided with projections (11a) which extend into the through-holes (50). Vortex flow blower according to any of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the vane member (1) includes radially inner wall portions and radially outer wall portions divided by the through-holes (50). Vortex flow blower according to any of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the wall (10) has a portion extending in the substantially radial direction of the vane wheel (1) and connecting the vanes (12) adjacent to each other in the substantially circumferential direction of the vane wheel. Vortex flow blower according to any of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the vanes (12) are prevented from extending over the wall (10) in the direction substantially parallel to the shaft (4s). Vortex flow blower according to any of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the vane wheel (1) and the cover (11) are made of the same material, preferably of a light alloy. Vortex flow blower according to any of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the cover (11) is fixed to and pressed against the wall (10) by mechanical connectors (13, 17; 111, 112; 113, 114). Vortex flow blower according to any of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cover (11) is fixed to the integral combination of the hub (8), the vanes (12) and the wall (10) by an adhesive therebetween.

Inventors: ASABUKI HIROSHI, FUJIO MASAYUKI, ISHIDA FUMIAKI, WATANABE TAKASHI, YAMAZAKI SUSUMU, ASABUKI, HIROSHI, FUJIO, MASAYUKI, ISHIDA, FUMIAKI, WATANABE, TAKASHI, YAMAZAKI, SUSUMU
Applicants: HITACHI LTD, HITACHI, LTD.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: F04D23
IPC codes: F04D23, F04D29